Slidable snap fastener device for supporting drapes or curtains

ABSTRACT

A slide member mountable in a horizontal, slotted track or traverse rod, has an arm carrying a U-shaped hook member. One part of a snap fastener is secured to one leg of the hook member and the other part is adapted to be secured to a drape or curtain.

Bite States Patent Peckham [54] SLIDABLE SNAP FASTENER DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING DRAPES OR CURTAINS [72] Inventor: Augustus W. Peckham, 7012 150th Ave. N., Clearwater, Fla. 38516 22 Filed: Feb. 19, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 116,800

[52] US. Cl. ..16/93 D, 160/330 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47h 13/12, A47h l5/02 [58] Field of Search ..160/330, 344-348,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,422,879 1/1969 Ryan ..160/330 1 Sept. 5, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 603,658 4/1960 Italy ..l6/87.2 158,573 2/1905 Germany ..16/87.2

Primary Examiner-David J. Williamowsky Assistant ExaminerPhilip C. Kannan AttorneyBacon & Thomas [57] ABSTRACT A slide member mountable in a horizontal, slotted track or traverse rod, has an arm carrying a U-shaped hook member. One part of a snap fastener is secured to one leg of the hook member and the other part is adapted to be secured to a drape or curtain.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SLIDABLE SNAP FASTENER DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING DRAPES R CURTAINS The present invention relates to a device for supporting drapes or curtains from a horizontally mounted track or traverse rod.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved device for quickly installing drapes or curtains in a neat and orderly fashion so that they may be moved laterally on a horizontally extending traverse rod or track.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slida- I ble snap fastener device for detachably supporting flexible panels such as drapes and curtains from a slotted traverse track.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device which may be quickly and easily attached to or removed from drapes or curtains in such a manner that the level of the curtains will always be maintained at a predetermined height.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved device which permits vertical adjustment of the drapes or curtains in order to maintain the top or bottom edges at a predetermined level.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a device which is easy to install, which is of simple, rugged construction and which is inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded, fragmentary perspective view of an arrangement including a slotted track, the device of this invention and a flexible panel, for example a drape or curtain;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevational view showing the device of this invention mounted for sliding movement in a slotted track and attached to a drape or curtain adjacent the upper edge thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view showing a modified form of the present invention mounted in a slotted track and attached to a curtain or a drape adjacent the upper edge thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the male part of the snap fastener illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the device 1 of this invention is mounted in a slotted track 2, and is adapted to be attached to a flexible panel 3 adjacent the upper edge 5 thereof, as generally designated by the reference 10.

The present device includes a snap fastener 11 having a male part 12 and a female part 13. The female part 13 is adapted to be securely fixed to the flexible panel 3 adjacent the upper edge thereof in any suitable conventional manner such as by a rivet 4, by bendable prongs extending outwardly from the rear or concealed surface of the female fastener part or by being stitched with threads to the panel.

The male part 12 of the snap fastener is secured by a weld 14 to the outer surface of one leg 15 of a generally U-shaped wire hook member designated by the reference numeral 16. The other leg 15a of the hook member 16 is adapted to pass through the opening 17 formed in the slide member l8.

The traverse rod or track 2 is provided with a horizontally extending slot 20 in one side wall thereof through which the arm portion 19 of the slide member 18 extends.

The slide member 18 includes an enlarged head portion 22, positioned in the interior 21 of the track 2 and in engagement with the upwardly facing track surface. The arm portion 19 extends outwardly for a short distance from one side of the vertically disposed head portion 22 and then depends downwardly with the opening 17 positioned below the bottom of the track 2.

While the head portion 22 and the arm portion 19 of the slide member 18 may be formed integral from suitable material such as plastic or the like, the head portion 22 is preferably in the form of a roller and the arm portion 19 is rotatably connected with one side of the roller at the axis thereof.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the track or traverse rod 2 and the slide member 18 are constructed and arranged in the manner illustrated and described above and the same reference numerals are employed to designate like elements referred to in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

The U-shaped hanger designated generally by the reference numeral 25, includes a depending leg 26 provided with screw threads 26a and an unthreaded depending leg 27.

The male part 30 of the snap fastener of FIG. 3 cooperates with a female part 13 attached to the flexible panel 3 in the manner already described. A lug or nut 29 rigid with the rear surface of the male part 30 is provided with a threaded opening 28. The leg 26 is screw threaded into the threaded opening 28 of the male part 30 and the vertical location of the male part of the snap fastener is adjusted in vertical position on the leg 26 by rotating the male part 30 relative to the U- shaped hanger 25.

Although the track 2 has been illustrated as having a slot 20 formed in the side wall thereof and the arm portion 19 as extending laterally outwardly and then downwardly, the device of the present invention could be employed with a track having a slot in the bottom wall thereof by employing a straight rather than a bent arm portion 19. If desirable, the two parts of the conventional, axially engaging snap fastener 11 could be reversed with the female part attached to one leg of the U-shaped hook member.

A novel arrangement for supporting and for quickly installing or removing drapes or curtains is provided by attaching or connecting one part of a snap fastener to one of the legs of a U-shaped hook member and, as shown in FIG. 3, for adjusting the curtains or drapes upwardly or downwardly as required in order to present the desired appearance.

While preferred forms of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, such changes, alterations and modifications as may occur to those skilled in the art are to be considered within the purview of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for detachably supporting in adjusted vertical position a drape or curtain from a slotted, horizontally disposed track in which a slide member having a hook receiving opening formed therein is adapted to slide horizontally, said device comprising: a

2. A device according to claim 1 in which screw threads are formed on said one leg, and the means adjustably securing said one portion of the snap fastener on said one leg includes a threaded nut fixed on said one portion of the snap fastener and mounted on said screw threads.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which said snap fastener includes a male part and a female part and said one portion is the male part. 

1. A device for detachably supporting in adjusted vertical position a drape or curtain from a slotted, horizontally disposed track in which a slide member having a hook receiving opening formed therein is adapted to slide horizontally, said device comprising: a generally U-shaped hook member adapted to be detatchably mounted in inverted position in the opening in the slide member, said hook member comprising a pair of depending legs, one portion of a two part snap fastener, and means adjustably securing said one portion of the two part snap fastener in vertical position on one of said legs; the other portion of said snap fastener being adapted to be secured to said drape or curtain adjacent the upper edge thereof for cooperation with said one portion.
 2. A device according to claim 1 in which screw threads are formed on said one leg, and the means adjustably securing said one portion of the snap fastener on said one leg includes a threaded nut fixed on said one portion of the snap fastener and mounted on said screw threads.
 3. A device according to claim 2 in which said snap fastener includes a male part and a female part and said one portion is the male part. 